“I wish it could’ve been me instead of the girls,” she added.

Fighting back tears, Laughlin remembered the three sisters as exceptionally kind children, a sentiment echoed by many who knew them.

Another neighbor, Greg Williams, shared his shock at the sudden loss. He recalled seeing Rebecca on the Friday before her demise while she was mowing the lawn. He just glanced at her and went his own way, unaware of what would happen a few days later.

“The next thing you know, the whole family’s gone,” he recounted, still visibly shaken.

Williams expressed hope that this tragedy would bring their close-knit community even closer together, fostering a greater awareness of each other’s struggles.

“I just feel sorry for the kids’ dad,” he added, acknowledging the immense pain Jonathan Newell must be experiencing.

In the face of this heartbreaking loss, the community has rallied around Jonathan in an extraordinary way. When he set up a GoFundMe page to give his daughters the burial they deserved, the response was overwhelming.

“This is really the last thing I get to do for them,” Jonathan said while talking about the online fundraiser.

The donations surpassed the initial $30,000 goal within just 12 hours of creating the page. As of the latest update, contributions have exceeded $45,000, with people continuing to offer their support.

The outpouring of generosity left Jonathan in tears. “People who didn’t even know me or my kids started just giving money and sending messages,” he said, visibly moved by the community’s response.

Eager to express his gratitude, Jonathan penned a heartfelt message to all who donated:

“Thank you all, this is way more than I could ask. If any of you need help ever, I’m there for you. I want to thank everyone personally. There is a lot I had to do today for the girls. Please don’t be offended if I haven’t got to you yet. [sic]”

Amidst the outpouring of grief for the children, Rebecca’s friend Ashley McAtee took to Facebook to remind the community of Rebecca’s humanity and struggle.

In a poignant post, Ashley wrote, “Since I’ve not seen one post with Rebecca Hughes picture or anyone showing any respect for her being gone as well as her 3 daughters, I’m gonna post a couple I have found.”

Ashley emphasized the complexity of the situation, urging people not to jump to conclusions. “It’s a tragic situation, and no one knows exactly why or what was going on in detail,” she wrote.

She painted a picture of Rebecca as a loving mother who may have been battling internal struggles without adequate support. “Rebecca did love her kids, and unfortunately I don’t think anyone was there for her as she was going thru something, mentally and emotionally [sic].”

Recalling their friendship, Ashley described Rebecca as “quiet and shy” to strangers but “so funny and bubbly” with friends. She said Rebecca and the girls were loved and hoped her friend was in a peaceful place now.

In the wake of this tragedy, Jonathan Newell has chosen to use this devastating experience as a platform to raise awareness about mental health, particularly for mothers and children. He sees it as a way to honor his daughters’ memory and potentially prevent similar tragedies in the future.

“If you feel like you’re struggling at all, get help,” Jonathan urged viewers during his interview. “You can call me. I’ll answer. We’ll talk it out.”

In another interview, Jonathan pleaded, “If you are a parent, and you have kids, and you need help, then get it. Because you don’t know when it’s going to be the last time you can.”

As the community continues to support Jonathan while grappling with the tragedy, the police officers continue their investigation. The authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the deaths.

Here’s another story of two young children who were reportedly abducted by their biological parents during a supervised visit. The authorities began their investigation and issued alerts soon after learning about the incident. Click here to read more.